§ 4. Mr. Turtonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to limit weekly increases of rent of each Government controlled home to 7s. 6d. in a 12-month period, as recommended in Command Paper No. 3604.
§ The Minister of State, Treasury (Mr. Dick Taverne)The recent rent increases for houses owned by Government Departments are within the recommended 215 limits of an average of 7s. 6d. a week for standard rents, and a maximum increase for any individual house of 10s. a week, in any one year.
§ Mr. TurtonIs the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the tenants of Government-controlled property will have had a 30 per cent. increase in rents, spread over 3 years, up to 1970? Does he appreciate that this is making tenants believe that the Government have no hope of stabilising the cost of living in this period, and that it is a very bad example for other landlords?
§ Mr. TaverneThis is not a bad example for other landlords. There has been no increase since 1958 and the average increase in these rents will be about 3s. 4d. a week in the next three years. The largest individual increase is 8s. 3d. a week in any one year, which is less than the recommended limit.
§ Sir Harmar NichollsHow does this increase compare with that allowed under the recommendation of the Prices and Incomes Board to local authorities?
§ Mr. TaverneIt is within the limits recommended, and within the policy announced by the Ministry of Housing for local authority tenants.